I made this delicious delight last summer, lost the photos on my gargantuan (at the time) hard drive, and never got to post it.

I made it a couple of days ago, didn’t take several crucial photos, and didn’t get to post it.

So I made another batch for you today. I took one for the team. It’s the kinda gal I am.

This is a custard-based ice cream, which is the best kind of ice cream there is. You’ll need an ice cream maker; mine’s an old wooden one. The kind you get at The Wal Marts. But any ol’ ice cream maker will do.

First thing we need to do is cook down the blackberries a bit. Throw them into a medium saucepan over low to medium-low heat and squeeze in the juice of half a lemon.

Add in 1/4 cup sugar. It’ll keep ya honest.

Now cover the pan and cook for about 20 minutes, or until the liquid has cooked out of the berries and begun to thicken.

And when it’s done…

Pour it into a fine mesh strainer over a bowl and allow the delicious purple liquid to drain.

Use the back of a spoon to extract as much liquid as you can.

This is liquid deliciousness.

THE MILK/SUGAR:

In a separate pan, combine 1 1/2 cups of half-and-half…

With 1 cup sugar.

Mix together, then warm up over low heat.

Now, in a separate bowl, pour 1 1/2 cups heavy (whipping) cream.

Cream. Half and half. I just love ice cream, don’t you?

THE EGGS:

Throw 5 egg yolks into a bowl.

You can either beat them by hand, or take the easy route like I do and use an electric mixer.

Beat ‘em until they’re light yellowish.

TEMPER THE EGG YOLKS:

Now, grab a little bit of the warm half-and-half/cream mixture and slowly drizzle it into the egg yolks…

…As you whisk the egg yolks constantly. Repeat this with a little more of the half-and-half mixture.

NOW you can slowly drizzle the tempered egg yolks into the pan with the rest of the half-and-half (whisk constantly) without the egg yolks cooking.

Stir the mixture in the pan as it cooks over low to medium-low heat until it thickens into a loose custard.

Now, normally I’d just strain the custard mixture right into the bowl with the heavy cream. But since my other large mesh strainer was at the Lodge, I had to use this little shrimp of a strainer…and the pitcher of my blender!

Please don’t let the blender throw you. It really has nothing to do with this recipe.

When it’s all strained, pour the custard into the bowl with the heavy cream.

Stir together until the mixture is totally combined.

Now you can pour the blackberry juice/puree into the cream mixture.

Get ready. You’re gonna love this next part.

Yummy…

Yummy…

Purple!

Now, if you have the time you can refrigerate this for a couple of hours to chill it. But I want to hurry the process along.

So I throw some ice into my little sink. You can use a separate bowl, too.

Then just stir it occasionally over a period of ten minutes or so to speed-chill it!

I’m very impatient in the kitchen.

When it’s thoroughly chilled, pour it into the bucket of your ice maker.

I like these old fashioned numbers. They remind me of 1974 for some reason.

Not 1975, mind you. 1974.

Now you just layer ice…

With ice cream salt.

Then turn it on to churn…and walk away!

I’ll be back in a bit to share the recipe…and show you the delicious results.

You’re gonna want to see this.

UPDATE: I’m adding in the final steps from Post #2:

When the ice cream maker stops, it’s ready!

Now, if you simply can’t wait, go ahead and serve it up now…”soft serve” style!

Or, if you’re brimming with self control, you can scrape it back into the bucket with a rubber spatula…

Smooth out the surface so it’s nice and even, then cover tightly with the lid (or plastic wrap), then stick it in the freezer to harden for at least an hour or two.

And then…

And then…

And OH….then…

THIS is what you’ll have.

This ice cream is SO creamy and smooth. I’ll be using the basic recipe tomorrow to make Peach Ice Cream, which is one of Pesky Tim’s faves

Add blackberries to a medium saucepan with 1/4 cup sugar and lemon juice. Cook over low heat, covered, for 20 to 25 minutes. Drain using a fine mesh strainer, pressing berries to extract as much juice/puree as possible. Set aside.

Heat half-and-half and 1 cup sugar in a separate saucepan over low heat. Turn off heat when mixture is totally heated.

Add heavy cream to a separate bowl.

Beat egg yolks by hand or with an electric mixer until yolks are pale yellow and slightly thick.

Temper the egg yolks by slowly drizzling in 1 1/2 cups of hot half-and-half mixture, whisking constantly. After that, pour the egg yolk/half-and-half mixture into the pan containing the rest of the half-and-half mixture. Cook over low to medium-low heat (depending on how hot your stove gets) until quite thick, stirring constantly. Drain custard using a fine mesh strainer, then pour into the bowl with the cream. Stir to combine.

Add blackberry juice/puree to the cream/custard mixture and stir. Chill mixture completely, then freeze in an ice cream maker until thick. Place container in freezer to harden for an additional two hours.

Delicious Blackberry Ice Cream

Ingredients

2 pints Fresh Blackberries

1/2 whole Juiced Lemon

1/4 cup Sugar

1-1/2 cup Half-and-half

1 cup Sugar

5 whole Egg Yolks

1-1/2 cup Heavy Cream

Preparation Instructions

Add blackberries to a medium saucepan with 1/4 cup sugar and lemon juice. Cook over low heat, covered, for 20 to 25 minutes. Drain using a fine mesh strainer, pressing berries to extract as much juice/puree as possible. Set aside.

Heat half-and-half and 1 cup sugar in a separate saucepan over low heat. Turn off heat when mixture is totally heated.

Beat egg yolks by hand or with an electric mixer until yolks are pale yellow and slightly thick. Temper the egg yolks by slowly drizzling into the 1 1/2 cups of hot half-and-half mixture, whisking constantly. After that, pour the egg yolk/half-and-half mixture into the pan containing the rest of the half-and-half mixture. Cook over low to medium-low heat (depending on how hot your stove gets) until quite thick, stirring constantly.

Add heavy cream to a separate bowl. Drain custard using a fine mesh strainer, then pour into the bowl with the heavy cream. Stir to combine. Add blackberry juice/puree to the cream/custard mixture and stir.

Chill mixture completely, then freeze in an ice cream maker until thick. Place container in freezer to harden for an additional two hours.

Linda On Friday, July 3 at 9:21 pm

My family and I have made all kinds of ice cream but I never thought to make blackberry. Thanks bunches! YUM

113

Helen On Friday, July 3 at 9:21 pm

This brings back some great memories—my sister, brother and me with all my cousins in Alabama—sticky hot, fire flies flittin’ around in the air and taking turns turning that crank! We had Nehi Orange, Nehi Grape and Nehi Strawberry icecream! Yum for sure.

114

Randi O. On Friday, July 3 at 9:27 pm

I remember making homemade ice cream as a child. My Uncle had an old crank ice cream maker and everyone got a turn at the crank. From the smallest (the first one to turn) to the oldest. If you didn’t turn the crank you didn’t get any ice cream. Those are fond memories, with relitives now long gone.

Angela On Friday, July 3 at 10:07 pm

We have the exact same ice cream maker, we used it when I was a kid, we had two milk cows. One of my things on my to do list this summer was to make ice cream with the girls. I’ve never seen ice cream salt here in Canada though, we used softener salt. Thanks for giving me a push to make a fun summertime memory!

I love that you call it “walmarts.” if we shopped there, we would too. instead we call it “costcos.” I was planning on making strawberry ice cream for the fourth, i think i will use this recipe and sub strawberries since i already have them. It sounds delicious. should i cook and strain the strawberries like you did the blackberries?

PLEASE post the “after” soon!! We are making homemade ice cream tomorrow and I’d love to try your recipe out!!! After 10 years of marriage and hundreds of ice cream recipes, we’ve yet to find “the one”, so maybe this is it??? Hopefully!!!

I DO know that after MANY MANY MAAAAAANY attempts at pie crust, I NEVER found one I liked until yours! I’m hoping this ice cream is the same way!!

Yummm! We made homemade peach ice cream a few weeks ago, and it was to DIE for! Since then, we’ve tried Reese’s PB cups, but it was OK…. I’m more in tune for fruits for homemade ice cream vs any other kind!

122

Jill L. On Friday, July 3 at 10:47 pm

Ree, looks wonderful! I know you’d want to fix the typo – you pour the ice cream into the ice cream maker, not the ice maker!

123

Thourella On Friday, July 3 at 10:55 pm

Looks gorgeous! What a summery treat!

BTW when you put the mixture over ice to quick-cool it in the first step, you can add salt to the ice and that will bring the temperature below freezing so it will cool quicker (like you do in the second step).

Also you don’t have to use ice-cream salt for your ice-cream maker. Regular salt works just fine!

124

Annie On Friday, July 3 at 11:47 pm

Blackberries will be ripe here in Oregon come August and we’ll have lots of berries from our yard. This will be the first recipe I’ll use with the fresh-picked berries (that is if I don’t eat them all as I pick them!) Can’t wait..thanks Ree, for another winner!

125

bethany On Friday, July 3 at 11:48 pm

i love all the pictures. looks DELICIOUS. you’re my hero :)

126

lisa On Saturday, July 4 at 12:32 am

hmmmm… I’m lactose intolerant and I don’t really “do” fruit but I think you should share more ice cream recipes, like every Friday this summer… I’d risk the tummy aches for coffee ice cream any day and rum raisin … yummy!

And, yes, the picture of the milk being poured looked like a little ghost puppet! I can’t believe you didn’t see it when you posted it! LOL

I’d like to point out that “old fashioned” ice cream makers didn’t involve electricity. As a kid in the late 60′s and 70′s, they only made the hand crank kind . . .and I don’t think that I’m “old fashioned” at 42!
My goal by the end of the summer is to get my hands on an “old fashioned” hand crank ice cream maker for my own kids memories.

129

margi On Saturday, July 4 at 10:15 am

Actually they did make the electric kind in the 70′s ~I know because I have the one my folks’ got in the mid 70′s after the slats on their old hand crank machine finally busted. Not as cool as the hand crank ~but still pretty dang cool. I’m digging that baby out of the basement this morning and getting busy. My sister just suggested last night we get it going for the 4th and we both kind of laughed because we’ve got a bunch of other things to prepare. This is going to be a fun surprise. How do you manage to always come up with just the right thing PW??

Question before I run off to make this: I haven’t ever strained a custard mixture before, and I’m nervous about this step. What am I straining out?

132

mosheep/Denise On Saturday, July 4 at 12:53 pm

My hubby was so excited about blackberry icecream that
he asked me this morning was I going out to buy a new icecream maker. We went to Target and got an old fashioned one that looks like your rival but is made by Aroma.
We just finished making the blackberry icecream with some chopped up chocolate pieces in it.
We tasted it and my husband sai that he would make the supreme sacrifice and eat it all because it was so bad(just kidding). It was delicious and is now in the freezer waiting for it to harden up.

This was well worth the wait. Next time I would make the base earlier in the day or the day before.

Ours took 30 minutes in the icecream maker.

Denise

133

mosheep/Denise On Saturday, July 4 at 1:02 pm

To damsel in distress number131.

You would be straining out pieces of the egg that didn’t disolve in the cooking process.

Hope this helps.

Denise

134

Rachel Kay J. On Saturday, July 4 at 2:08 pm

Hey Ree, what kind of ice cream maker do you have? I could see the Rival brand..but I looked for the one you had and couldnt find the one with that red and cream label. And how many quarts does yours hold. Please email me and let me know. Thanks

This ice cream looks awesome! Ree I have the exact same ice cream maker and I’m convinced it makes making ice cream that much more fun since it’s in a wooden bucket :) Which to me translates to making ice cream all the time. Right? lol

137

Jena On Monday, July 6 at 11:14 am

Man, I’m glad someone els mentioned that cream looked like a ghost also. I’m so ADD, I lose the recipe because I’m focused on the ghost.

138

Julie On Monday, July 6 at 1:21 pm

OH….MY….GOSH! YUM!

139

Annette On Monday, July 6 at 1:59 pm

That looks marvelous. I have never ever made homemade ice cream, its looks like it is scrumptious. What other flavors have you made?

140

Susan from Dodge City, Ks. On Monday, July 6 at 2:52 pm

WOOKIE ALERT!!!!!!!

Ree, you made a wookie as you were pouring the half & half into the bowl.
We had homemade ice cream for the 4th, but it was just plain ol’ vanilla. We had a giant graduation party for our son who has been homeschooled all his lil’ darling life. Thanks be to God and the great support from my hubby. See, graduations don’t have to take place only in May.
Thanks for the wonderful blackberry ice cream recipe. I’m goin’ try it soon.

141

Nancy On Monday, July 6 at 9:18 pm

elizabeth On Monday, July 6 at 10:45 pm

i made your sundried tomato pasta salad for dinner last night. it is really good. the sauce is delicious. and we ate it warm…it was just too good to wait for it to cool off….and i forgot the part about running cold water over the noodles….and then i added the sauce to the warm noodles…and ….oh my….so good! we just had to eat it right then!

Ree, I kind of love you now. You always have such wonderful recipes that even this humble bachelor can put together. I have a date coming over this weekend and I was debating on whether I was going to make ice cream this weekend, but this recipe totally seals the deal!

145

claudia On Wednesday, July 15 at 6:38 pm

I just made and sampled this ice cream — oh my! So smooth, rich and creamy! I threw in some vanilla because eggs and cream and vanilla are always good in my book. I used berries that we picked last weekend and I had flash frozen. Also, I don’t strain custard…what does that do exactly? I certainly did strain the berries. And, I’m also impatient — I put the custard in a big bowl with a little water and one of those large ice bricks you put in a cooler for picnics. Takes that temp down in no time. Thanks for the recipe.

146

usma On Tuesday, July 21 at 12:45 pm

I made this tonight and followed the recipe word for word. It was very…eggy. I couldn’t really put my finger on anything that I’d done wrong. Anyone else have this problem? I’m not a huge homemade ice cream fan so I got lots of second opinions. What does everyone else think?

148

Jenn On Friday, July 24 at 1:39 am

I just made this, following the recipe exactly. It is HEAVENLY, better than I could have imagined. Even though I had to use cruddy, slightly under-ripe blackberries the flavor is perfect.

Stefunkc, I don’t know what could be wrong. You’re saying it’s even more eggy than custard is supposed to be? Perhaps you cooked the custard too long? At one point Ree says it should be “light” but then later on she says “fairly thick”. I went with light and that worked out really well for me. Kind of a cream of tomato soup consistency.

Thank you, thank you, thank you for this recipe. I’ve made it three times for now and every time I find it better. I only had frozen berries and it turned out delicious anyway, with chocolate chunks… Mmmmmm.

Saturday, April 4: Freezer Fundamentals! While ranch work is going on outside, freezer work is going on inside! I share four more of my favorite freezer basics, which can be made into a whole bunch of different meals.